By:  Marie-Claude Blais - Times & Transcript

I have been very lucky in life to meet people who inspire me.
 
Last week, I had the pleasure to take part in the Progressive Conservative Women's Association Annual General Meeting and had the privilege to talk with extraordinary women such as Brenda Robertson and Tilly O'Neil-Gordon, just to mention two.
 
Tilley O'Neill-Gordon is the Member of Parliament for Miramichi. She was elected to Parliament during the last election, to everybody's surprise.
Well, not everybody! The people of the Miramichi knew they had a true leader in Mrs. O'Neill-Gordon. At the meeting she reflected on the state of women in politics. It is worrisome to see a decline in women running for office. I wanted this week to give a chance to women and men to be inspired by the words of Mrs.  O'Neill-Gordon and I decided to reproduce most of her presentation.
 
Mrs. O'Neill-Gordon started by mentioning that a lot of great women had paved the way for her. She paid homage to the first woman elected in New Brunswick and who became a minister in the Hatfield government. It was the Honourable Brenda Robertson, who went on to become our pride and joy when she was named to the Senate. Mrs. Robertson was also this year made recipient of the Order of Canada.
 
Mrs.. O'Neill-Gordon also mentioned the contribution of other Progressive Conservative and Conservative women such as Mabel Deware, Nancy Clarke Teed, Rose May Poirier, Margaret Ann Blaney, Elsie Wayne, and Madeleine Dube who have made their way to become MLAs, ministers, Senators, and MPs.
 
Mrs. O'Neill-Gordon spoke about work being done by the House of Commons' Committee on the Status of Women, and about what the Harper government is doing for women in general. She began by going down the historical path, talking about Agnes Macphail who became the first woman in Canada elected to the House of Commons. So what began in 1921 with just one woman Member of Parliament has grown to 68 women in the House of Commons today.
 
Mrs. ONeill-Gordon's message was strong and informative. I will now let her words speak:
 
"We have come a long way from the Parliament of 1921, which must have been a tense and sometimes precarious work environment for a woman, and we still have a long way to go, although today, the House of Commons is a place where the lives and contributions of Canadian women are valued and respected.
 
"In fact, the current Parliament has the highest number of women ever. And with 11 women in a 38-member Cabinet, this government boasts the highest proportion of women ministers in Cabinet. With 64 women in Parliament, 22.4 per cent of MPs, Canada sadly now ranks 46 in the world on Inter-parliamentary Union. Canada now has fewer women in Parliament than most of Europe and many less than developed countries like Uganda, Rwanda.
 
"Women still encounter barriers when seeking elected office: stereotyping and perceptions of women's roles and abilities; few women role models; media imbalances in the treatment of women politicians, family commitments; masculine political environment, failure of political parties to bolster women candidates, finances and exclusion from informal party networks. Canada has been slipping in terms of the number of women candidates running for Parliament, falling from a high of 476 women candidates in 1993 to just 387 in the last federal election. It can be done and we know that women in politics can make a difference.
 
"This is the reason why I was pleased when, last February, Minister Helena Guergis announced an important funding to a group called Equal Voice/Voix Égales, a non-partisan organization dedicated to electing more women to every level of government in Canada. Equal Voice/À voix égales is advancing women's leadership. They've conducted research and examined global experiences, all of which prove that strategic early intervention is vital to sustainable gender equality in public office. What Equal Voice/À voix égales has found is that reaching out to girls between 12 to 18 years of age has the greatest, most positive impact on their likelihood of civic engagement in adult life. I heartily agree. That is why I was so pleased about this announcement of funding from the Women's Program of Status of Women Canada (SWC) to this important national organization.
 
Equal Voice/À voix égales will receive $1,208,404 over 28 months for Experiences, a partnership project that will increase the democratic participation of girls and young women by: introducing girls aged 12 to 18 and young women aged 18 to 25 to positive role models and mentors; and nurturing their political literacy and inspiring them to become political leaders in the future.
 
"Thanks to Equal Voice/À voix égales, some 5,800 girls and young women will witness the challenges and rewards women in senior leadership positions experience. They'll be mentored and inspired to pursue civic engagement. They'll gain stronger leadership and decision-making skills, and they'll develop democratic and political literacy. I have confidence that such an initiative will help turn things around on the political front. In short, as we advance this important project with our partners, girls and young women will be better equipped with the tools for leadership and schooled in the language of success.
 
"Now more than ever -- particularly in these times of uncertainty -- Canada's continued success depends on women's economic security. And, perhaps more importantly, it depends on women's economic prosperity, and on the well-being of their families and their communities. In Budget 2008, the Government of Canada announced that we will develop an Action Plan to advance equality for women by improving their economic and social conditions, and their participation in democratic life.
 
"Over the past year, through the Women's Program of Status of Women Canada, our Government has formed partnerships with local women's organizations across the country. Through these working relationships, we have invested in promising grass-roots projects that tackle some of the most daunting challenges and issues facing girls and women today -- issues like violence, poverty and the lack of access to opportunity. Our government is continuing to deliver on our commitment to equality for Canadian women.
 
"By supporting projects that give women the tools they need to empower themselves, access employment, strengthen their economic security and take on the challenge of leadership, we are making a real difference in the lives of Canadians.
 
"This support is a continuation of the measures and programs we are making available through Status of Women Canada. Since 1971 there has been within the federal Cabinet, a minister responsible for the status of women. The Government of Canada recently created the first ministerial post dedicated exclusively to the status of women. As Minister of State (Status of Women), the Honourable Helena Guergis assists the minister of Canadian heritage in the carrying out of the minister's responsibilities. Status of Women Canada (SWC) is a departmental agency under the Canadian Heritage Portfolio. SWC promotes the full participation of women in the economic, social and democratic life of Canada. SWC works to advance equality for women and to remove the barriers to women's participation in society, putting particular emphasis on increasing women's economic security and eliminating violence against women."
 
Mrs. O'Neill-Gordon finished her presentation with the following quote from Her Worship Charlotte Whitton, the first woman elected as mayor of a major Canadian city, in Ottawa:
 
"We all have ability. The difference is how we use it."
 
Mrs. ONeill-Gordon was a teacher in a community that believed in her and now she is working hard to better the lives of all New Brunswickers. She is a voice not only to be heard but to be listened to.
 
Marie-Claude Blais, of Moncton, is a lawyer and is the executive-director of the New Brunswick Progressive Conservative Party. Her column appears in this space every second Saturday.